Page 38 of All That Lies Ahead
ADDISON
“You’re staring,” I tell Drake, handing him a red plastic cup full of lemonade and settling down into the Adirondack chair beside his. I follow his gaze across the lawn and over to... Olivia’s ass?
The lip he’s been chewing on pops out from between his teeth.“She’s so fucking gorgeous. And she wants nothing to do with me. I don’t understand it.” He rubs his brow and turns to me, frowning at me like I have the answers written on my forehead.
I laugh and shake my head. “You’re perplexed that she’s not interested in you?”
“No, it’s not like that.” He shakes his head and wags his finger near my face. “She’s interested, trust me. Every once in a while, she lets that hard exterior slide, and I get to see her flirty side. I know she’s interested. She just won’t act on it.”
He looks so sad and pitiful that I actually feel sorry for him. “Don’t take it personally. She’s hard to get close to. Give it time.”
“I’ve been trying to, but it’s easy for her to shy away from me when we live in different time zones.”
“Is that her excuse?” I ask, and he nods. I can’t really say I blame her. I’m sure if I had gone back to LA, Chase and I would be in a similar situation.“What happened with Rachel?”
I take a sip of my blueberry lemonade, enjoying the way the sweet and tart play together on my tongue. Indira let it slide that it was Chase’s idea to flavor nearly everything blueberry. I rub my belly, enjoying its tight roundness thanks to both the baby and the food, and sigh in contentment. I’ve already devoured a cupcake and a donut, and cake is still to come.
“We split up.For good, this time.”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” I say, and I mean it. I reach my hand out to pat his arm, and he swats it away in embarrassment. It’s such a brotherly thing to do, and I find myself snickering.
“No, don’t be. Rachel and I both knew it was over for a long time. We should have called it quits the first time we broke up instead of continuing to try to force the other to change.”
I nod thoughtfully, steering the conversation to a lighter topic. “I really appreciate you picking Olivia up from the airport. How was the ride here?”
Drake grins and shrugs his shoulders. “It was nice catching up.”
“Yeah.” I snort. “I bet it was.”
We sit in silence then, looking out over the lawn and watching the others. Olivia and Indira are in one corner, cutting the cake and preparing it on little blue paper plates.
I last saw Chase’s parents inside, when his father shooed everyone out so they could clean up from the party and pack up all the presents. With the way they were making eyes at each other all morning, I wouldn’t be surprised if the chores were just an excuse to get some alone time—as if they don’t get enough of that while living alone.
Chase and Emily are over at the big wooden playset tucked into the back corner of the yard. It was put up for Willow many years ago, and Janice said that when she outgrew it, they kept it up in hopes they’d have more grandchildren someday.
I watch as Chase pushes Emily gently on the swing. She’s not moving more than a few inches back and forth, but it looks like she might topple over at any moment.
It’s a chilly October day, but not freezing. Still, she’s all bundled up in a winter coat, gloves, and hat. In typical Emily fashion, she forced a smile all morning, but it’s clear she’s running out of steam. Last week, Matt switched to working three overnight shifts a week Friday through Sunday, while an aide covers eight-hour shifts during the weekdays. It was an adjustment having another health care worker in the house, especially knowing it means that Emily needs more care, but Cassie is sweet, and her and Emily get along well.
“She doesn’t have much longer.” Drake’s words are pained, his face strained with emotion. “It’s like she’s just wasting away in front of us. Chase is going to be a mess. I’m not even sure he knows how to exist without her.”
I tip my head at Drake, wondering if it’s been hard for him to stand on the outside of what Emily and Chase have had all these years. Even if the two have never been romantic, there’s a level of intimacy you reach when you’re not only living with someone but also married to them. There’s a deeper connection built beyond friendship.
Plus, Chase took on a fatherly role with Willow, while Drake was left being the fun uncle—even though the role fits him well.
“Drake, can I ask you something personal?”
“Since when have you asked permission first?” he teases. I stick my tongue out at him and he laughs. “Of course, Addison.”
I hesitate, wanting to choose my words with care. I worry I might be crossing a line, but the need to ask is too great to ignore. “It feels a little unfair to ask this, but I’m going to anyway, so please just tell me if I should back off, okay?”
He nods once, so I continue.
“How did you feel about Chase and Emily getting married? Or even just when she and Willow moved in with him? The three of you have been friends for so many years now.”
If he’s surprised by my question, he doesn’t show it, but he does manage to look both thoughtful and sad at the same time.
“You know, Chase has always been the serious one, responsible to a fault. Even when we were kids, he was always swooping in to save the day. It didn’t matter who needed his help. So as crazy as it should have sounded when he just bought a house and told me he was moving them in, it wasn’t. It was just Chase doing what he does.”